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Bruins' fate falls in good hands with Chara

By Carmine Frongillo, cfrongillo@lowellsun.com

Updated:
05/06/2014 07:34:34 AM EDT

Boston Bruins defenseman Zdeno Chara, right, and Montreal Canadiens defenseman P.K. Subban (76) grapple along the boards during the first period in Game 2 of an NHL hockey second-round Stanley Cup playoff series in Boston, Saturday, May 3, 2014. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola)

With the Bruins, as with every NHL team still in the hunt for the Stanley Cup, the playoffs are a series of mini-dramas that continually play themselves out on the ice.

But come game time, there typically is only one leading man -- a player who not only competes at a high level, but is capable of lifting the fortunes of an entire franchise up with him.

Since his arrival in Boston in July of 2006, "the guy" in the sweater with the spoked-B on the front of it who has consistently fit this bill is defenseman Zdeno Chara.

With all due respect to goalie Tuukka Rask and center Patrice Bergeron, each of whom has played vital roles in the success of the Black & Gold this season, the pulse of Bruins is still found in Chara's wrists.

When the Bruins' captain is going good, all is usually right in this Hub of Hockey. And Chara has been at his dominating best in the postseason.

At age 37, this 6-foot-9, 255-pound tower of power continues to make all the difficult plays on the blue line look routine. You would be hard pressed to find a player at his position who is more functionally dominant than Chara, who has three points (2 goals) and a team-best plus-6 rating in seven playoff games.

Chara's ability to play his position as if he studied his whole life for it may be the reason we seemingly take his greatness for granted. No matter how tall you are, or how well you play, it's hard for even a future Hall of Fame defenseman with a Norris Trophy and Stanley Cup on his resume to skate out from under the huge shadow cast by Boston hockey legends Bobby Orr and Ray Bourque.

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The man Habs' fans love to hate will be front and center on the Bell Centre ice tonight at 7 p.m. when the Bruins take on the host Montreal Canadiens in Game 3 of their Eastern Conference semifinal series. Chara and the Bruins will be looking to build off the momentum generated by Saturday's 5-3 comeback victory, during which Boston overcame a 3-1 third period deficit to even the series, 1-1.

Chara was a plus-5 in Game 2, equaling a career high. The last Bruin to reportedly be plus-5 in the playoffs was Ken Linseman in 1985.

In 2011, the Montreal Police Department's emergency line was reportedly flooded with calls from irate Canadiens' fans calling for Chara's arrest after the league decided not to fine/suspend him for a hit he delivered on Max Pacioretty at the Bell Centre that left the Habs' forward with a fractured vertebra and a concussion.

Public enemy No. 1 in the eyes of anyone pledging allegiance to the Habs will be smack dab in the middle of enemy lines wearing No. 33 for the Bruins on Tuesday. No matter how many boos come pelting down on him like hailstones from the rafters, Chara will soldier on, taking care of business in hockey's no man's land -- the slot -- while chipping in offensively.

Based on his performance this season, there is still plenty of sand left in the hourglass of Chara's career. He checked in with 40 points (17 goals) and was a plus-25 in 77 games while not only being regularly paired opposite the opposition's top line, but providing veteran leadership on a defense corps that featured youngsters Dougie Hamilton, Torey Krug, Kevan Miller and Matt Bartkowski.

Chara held the Bruins' defense together after the loss of veteran blue liner Dennis Seidenberg to an ACL/MCL injury in December. For his efforts he has been nominated as a Norris Trophy finalist, along with Shea Weber of the Nashville Predators and Duncan Keith of the Chicago Blackhawks, for the sixth time in his 16-year NHL career. Chara won the Norris Trophy in 2009.

But you have to believe the trophy Chara is most eager to hoist over head for the second time is the Stanley Cup.

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